I bought mine sight unseen.
Some problems were very obvious in the online photos, so I discussed these problems with the dealer and they were addressed.
I almost reneged when I got there, but I went through with the deal just to keep from starting all over again at square one.
My wife and I both had taken off work to make the 4 hour trip, so I made the best of it, and came home with the trailer.

Having bought and sold collector cars most of my life, I would never buy an Airstream or Argosy with looking at it by me or a trusted friend first. I have pulled a car trailer thousands of miles, only to turnaround and return empty because the car was a pile. Pictures and even video's may not show problems that are very evident with an in person inspection.

I bought mine sight unseen.
Some problems were very obvious in the online photos, so I discussed these problems with the dealer and they were addressed.
I almost reneged when I got there, but I went through with the deal just to keep from starting all over again at square one.
My wife and I both had taken off work to make the 4 hour trip, so I made the best of it, and came home with the trailer.

It was actually new, but there were obvious problems, like in the photos a wall sconce was hanging by the wires.
Once we got there, we found a reading light over the couch broken and hanging by the wires, cracked light lenses, and broken awning claws.

So, yes we got full 2 year warranty.
Making a trip to the Mothership in September to get some issues corrected before the warranty runs out in October.
I buy cars sight unseen, too.
If it is only 2-3 years old it can't be hurt too bad.
If I discover when I get there it was in a wreck I'll just walk away.

I've purchased my two airstreams sight unseen. For the first one I traveled from ME to FL to pick it up and while still in good shape it has a bunch of problems. I talked with the seller after the fact and he refunded me some of the price and agreed to pay for a few of the repairs. I was lucky that the seller was a decent person but it also helped that I was getting a good deal even if I had had a non cooperative seller.

The second one and current airstream I got from colonial, used. And while not af great a deal as my first one, I felt it was a fair price and the AS was in better shape than I thought, literally better than new as it had some very nice upgrades.

I think you just have to be smart and patient until the right deal comes along. As they say if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I have purchased a couple of trailers and sold quite a few sight unseen. What kind of Airstream are you hoping to find? Just make sure you get all the pictures you need, ask a lot of questions, and if the seller is not patient move on.
Also remember that sometimes the seller may have not seen or had more than 1 Airstream, so when they say " It is the nicest one I have ever seen!" or "The previous owner said everything works." You might consider another seller unless you are comfortable with their response.
Good luck to you in your search!
RichardT

I've purchased my two airstreams sight unseen. For the first one I traveled from ME to FL to pick it up and while still in good shape it has a bunch of problems. I talked with the seller after the fact and he refunded me some of the price and agreed to pay for a few of the repairs. I was lucky that the seller was a decent person but it also helped that I was getting a good deal even if I had had a non cooperative seller.

The second one and current airstream I got from colonial, used. And while not af great a deal as my first one, I felt it was a fair price and the AS was in better shape than I thought, literally better than new as it had some very nice upgrades.

I think you just have to be smart and patient until the right deal comes along. As they say if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

-J

I can't disagree with any of this advice. However, there is the off chance that you might come across a deal that seems too good to be true, but isn't. That was the case with me.

I found my 19' Bambi on the Airstream classifieds and just happened to meet two of the nicest sellers ever. The sellers realized how much I wanted their Bambi to be mine and in the kind of condition they advertised. They actually wanted me and my wife to have first crack at it even though they'd had other offers.

The seller knew I was somewhat cautious and laid out his business credentials and gave me every assurance that I needed to believe in him and his wife. I guess any honest person would but, he didn't have to. That was key for me. I sent a deposit, flew from San Diego to Austin to see it, cash in hand. It was everything they said it was... Deal done.

That afternoon they took us out on their boat on Lake Travis and to dinner as well! At that point I'm thinking maybe I over paid? :-) One month later they drove it to southern Ca. on their way to see their parents. After having it washed, they delivered it to us at an rv park near the Pamona Fairgrounds. That evening we all barbecued, watched fireworks and spent our first night in our beautiful new to us, Airstream....It was a Fourth of July I'll never forget!

Almost eight months and several thousand miles we've spent forty two nights in her and I'm here to tell you it was the best deal I've ever made with some of the nicest people I've ever met.

The bottom line is their are good people out their but, you have to feel it. If you don't, move on. I know I was lucky but, I bet there are other great stories out there.... Let's hear from you.

Looks like you had an amazing experience, and made some new friends in the process. I wish all transactions could be this much fun.

-J

I imagine other people have also had positive buying experiences. Hopefully we'll hear about those too. I know I was lucky but, I'd like to think most airstream owners are good honest people. In my case the previous owners really wanted someone to take care of it and enjoy it as much as they did - and, we do. A dream come true.

Our sellers were honest, and very accommodating since we had to wait till April to come get it because of weather. They held onto the trailer for a percentage down for 2 months for us. They had a mechanic friend repack the bearings for us too. They sent us tons of pictures, and answered all our questions. We were (and are) very happy with how the sale went and the trailer we got. We knew, going in, that it needed a lot of work. Nothing was hidden. That is what we wanted.

That's great to hear. Even with vehicles I've bought in the past, I feel like you can tell when a seller has something to hide or a deal doesn't feel right. In that case you have to walk away. Our sellers held our for a month before 'they' delivered it. I trusted them enough to have paid them in full until delivery.... Maybe not smart but it work out beautifully.

We are buying this way after checking on the RV dealer credentials, the previous owners, and asking another WBCCI member to go in person to check it out. Looked for at least 6 months and could not find a trailer anywhere near us in Canada. Lots of additional complications to buy in the USA. Wish us luck! We'll post after we pick it up and try it out.